“Is that right?” Elise’s voice came out rather strangled now but James didn’t seem to notice.
“Yes, that’s right.” He nodded. “I wanted to know more about you before I made any sort of commitment and Charles was kind enough to share information with me. He told me there had been some bad blood between the two of you and how badly he wanted to be part of your life again.”
“Part of my life?” Elise shivered, overcome with revulsion at the thought of having any kind of relationship with Charles but James didn’t notice.
“Of course,” he went on. “Charles feels awful about your dog—the poor man has never forgiven himself, really. He’s especially keen to get to know you as an adult and he thought it might be possible now that you’ve ‘grown out of your awkward adolescence and blossomed into such a lovely young lady,’ as he puts it.”
“Blossomed? What the hell are you talking about? How would Charles know what I look like before seeing me again today?” Elise demanded. The short hairs at the nape of her neck prickled with apprehension. Had James actually been spying on her for her stepfather? Please God, no…
“Why, because I’ve been sending him pictures of you—at his request, of course.” James beamed as though he’d done her a favor. “Just little candid day to day shots, you know, the ones I take on my phone. He loves them—says they make him feel ever so much closer to you.”
Elise’s stomach rolled and she thought for a moment that she might throw up. She pushed down the urge with difficulty. “And that didn’t seem at all creepy to you?” she demanded. “That my stepfather, who I haven’t spoken to in over ten years, would ask you to send him pictures of me?”
“Darling, please!” James laughed. “You act like he’s obsessed with you or something, when the truth is, he just wants to reconnect.”
“I don’t think so,” Elise snapped. “Look, James, I’ve heard enough. I wanted to find a nice way to say this, but I don’t know how, so I’ll just say it—the wedding is off.”
“What?” He looked genuinely startled. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said.” Elise ran a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel the same way about you. Especially after hearing what’s been going on between you and Charles behind my back.”
“Behind your back? Darling, I’ve been trying to repair the rift in your family.” James looked at her reproachfully. “If anything, I’d think you would be grateful.”
Elise raised an eyebrow at him. “Grateful that you’ve been spying on me and sending pictures of me to the man who raped me? Seriously, James?”
He glared at her. “Will you please stop making such ugly accusations?”
“They may be ugly, but they’re true.” Elise lifted her chin. “I ran away from the truth for a long time. While I was gone, though, Merrick helped me face it. I’m not going to run any more and I’m certainly not going to pretend it never happened just to please you.”
His face darkened. “It all comes back to that Kindred bastard, doesn’t it? Why don’t you just admit it, Elise—you’ve got some kind of misguided feelings for the big brute, don’t you?”
“I loved him with everything that was in me.” Elise felt like her heart might crack and shatter into a thousand pieces at the admission, but somehow she held it together. “And do you know why I loved him, James? Because he cared about me. Cared enough to ask the hard questions about my past and to believe the answers, even though they were ugly.”
“But you can’t back out of the wedding now!” James protested, ignoring her words about Merrick. “If you do—”
“If I do, what?” Elise demanded. “Go on, tell me what’s at stake besides your pride, James.”
He glowered at her. “If you do, the merger between my company and your stepfather’s will fall through.”
“What?” Elise demanded, her voice rising. “What are you talking about?”
“Keep your voice down!” he hissed. “I’m talking about that fact that Charles has told me repeatedly that he couldn’t trust his company to anyone but the man taking care of his little girl. So as soon as we’re married, the merger will go through. All the paperwork is done—it’s just waiting for final signatures.”
“I am not his little girl,” Elise said in a low, shaking voice. “But thank you for the explanation—now I understand.”